BY RUTH BROOK

It’s the 1990s in Khartoum, Sudan and an Ethiopian single mother of six sits homeless on the steps of a church. These steps have been her home for two years.

Fearing for the safety of her children at night, she ties a rope around her body extending it to her right and left. Three children tied to one side, three on the other. When one moves, they all move. This is the only way she can make sure they sleep soundly. She does this every night for two years.

Two decades later, in Australia, her son Joe White recounts this story.

“It was like our little security blanket,” Joe said.

“We didn't know any better…there was many grown men around us that were homeless as well and it wasn't safe for us or my mum.”

Ethiopian-Australian comedian Joe White was born Tilahun Hailu, in Sudan. After overcoming homelessness in Sudan, and adversity as a refugee in Australia, Joe took his pain and turned it into his triumph on stage. Using humour as the medicine to heal himself and others as well.

“Comedy is definitely a coping mechanism for me. I draw from my trauma…But on stage, obviously people are not going to laugh at my trauma. They are going to laugh at the funny in my trauma that I… approved for the laughs,” Joe said.

His mother earned money selling tea in a Khartoum market, eventually making enough to rent a veranda for her family. It would serve as a roof over their heads until their move to Perth in 1998. Joe was 11, he said.

“When he said he wanted to do comedy, it wasn’t very hard for us to…envision it for him. He just didn’t realise he was already doing it at 16, 17 to his family and his friends,” Joe’s twin sister and comedy promoter, Elsa Hailu said.

The nickname ‘Joe’ developed in high school and later grew to ‘Joe White’ serving as a natural opening act for the comedian.

“I did that as a joke …I just thought it was funny…I’d come on stage and I’d go, this is not what you expected and people would laugh…I wanted to make people laugh straight away,” he said.

Although much of his material is centred around his life in Sudan and adapting to life in Australia, like his first comedy special “Ethiopian & Not Hungry”, it was not those adversities that brought Joe to the stage. Instead, it was love - having it and losing it.

The end of a 10-year romantic relationship brought Joe to a devastating mental state, where dark thoughts of self-harm drove him to seek change, he said.

“I guess the reason why I struggled with it is because Sudan was a collective suffering…I was going through it with other people. This one here, I felt no one really understood and I was suffering alone,” Joe said.

Joe left a stable career in banking to pursue his dream of being comedian, leaning on his family and his best friend Upul for support.

“It sort of gave him that purpose, that drive, something to look forward to amidst it all,” Upul Govinnage said.

Following his first gig at an amateur comedy night, Joe felt sure of his decision to pursue comedy, he said.

“It was like I discovered the meaning of my life…I was driving home that night after my first gig…just going, I have found my purpose,” Joe said.

“I had tears, it was that funny,” Upul said.

Since then, Joe has continued to fulfil his purpose, featuring on Australia’s Got Talent in 2019, touring nationally and globally and has received numerous awards for his comedy.

He is currently working with Elsa, gearing up for his next big gig- the 2021 Perth Fringe Festival. All the while attributing his success to his trials.

“I truly believe it's my purpose… Nothing can stop me,” Joe said.